Asante Kotoko have called on the support of rivals Hearts of Oak to help bring an end to hooliganism, following Sunday’s disastrous incident at Nsoatreman.
The said incident, which transpired in the matchday 19 clash between Nsoatreman and Kotoko, started seven minutes into the second half as pushing and shoving between players escalated into a brawl.
The brawl continued in the stands and outside the stadium, where a number of fans engaged in verbal and physical confrontations.
The aftermath of the heated incident saw fervid Kotoko fan, Francis Yaw Frimpong, affectionately known as Nana Pooley, stabbed to death.
The death of the deceased has triggered a national conversation on safety in the local league, with questions being raised about security protocols at the various grounds.
The Ghana Football Association has since gone on to ban the home side, Nsoatreman, from using their home venue, Nana Koromansah II, for league games.
Furthermore, three suspects, including former Member of Parliament and Minister of Emplyoment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Agyemang Duah Owusu, and Kyeremeh Joseph have been arrested and are set to be arrainged berore court on Tuesday.
Kotoko have since gone on to issue a club statement, calling for the support of sworn rivals Hearts of Oak and other clubs to help bring an end to hooliganism in the Ghana Premier League.
“It is time to end the cycle of violence, hooliganism and lawlessness that threatens the integrity of our game.
“We call on all clubs to support this cause, especially our greatest rivals on the pitch, Hearts of Oak, because this is bigger than competition,” it read.
Kotoko and Hearts of Oak were involved in a catastrophic disaster on May 9, 2001 that took the lives of many and have since pledged to ensure peaceful coordination games.
In the meantime, all matchday 20 games in the Ghana Premier League have been put on hold, with Kotoko pulling out of all games until further notice.
